Strawberry plant named ‘Cal Giant 3’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named ‘Cal Giant 3’ that produces equivalent yields of equally high quality fruit in both fumigated and non-fumigated conditions, is resistant to many common foliar and soil borne diseases and pests, and has unusually execellent fruit flavor and aroma. Further, ‘Cal Giant 3’ has the potential to out-produce all currently grown varieties during the first half of the season, and to equal or exceed total season production of all currently grown varieties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of stawberry, named ‘Cal Giant 3’, resulted from across performed in 1993 between proprietary plants designated ‘C1’ and‘NWFV’. Both the proprietary plants ‘C1’ and ‘NWFV’ were maintainedexclusively for breeding purposes, were not released to growers and havenot been the subject of an application for a plant patent in the UnitedStates.

‘Cal Giant 3’ was first selected as a seedling variety at the a breedingtest plot in 1995 and has been propagated asexually by runners. It wasoriginally designated ‘11D15’ and later designated as advanced selection‘D3’. Asexual propagules from this original source have been tested attest plots throughout the various fruiting areas of Oxnard, Santa Mariaand Watsonville, Calif., US. This propagation and testing hasdemonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein whichcharacterize propagules of ‘Cal Giant 3’ are fixed and retained true totype through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Cal Giant 3’ is a new and distinct strawberry varietycharacteristically different from any other strawberry variety. Amongthe characteristics that distinguish ‘Cal Giant 3’ are a combination oftraits which include a strong everbearing tendency; natural resistanceto many pests and foliar, fruit, and root diseases; and the productionof a high number of exceptionally sweet fruit that are smoother thanother commercial varieties. In addition, ‘Cal Giant 2’ producesequivalent yields of equally high quality fruit in both fumigated andnon-fumigated conditions. Its fruit pollinates well in inclement weatherconditions, allowing for continued production of well shaped, marketablefruit following cold and moist conditions. Further, ‘Cal Giant 3’ hasthe potential to out-produce all currently grown varieties during thefirst half of the season, and to equal or exceed total season productionof all currently grown varieties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying color photographs show typical specimens of the newstrawberry variety designated ‘Cal Giant 3’, including fruit, foliageand flower, as follows:

FIG. 1 is a color photograph taken in July 1998 showing general plantarchitecture, flowering, and fruiting characteristics.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing a close-up view of the range ofmature whole fruit; and

FIG. 3 is a color photograph taken in July 1998 showing the generalplant architecture, flowering, and fruiting characteristics of plantsgrown in a non-fumigated, cultural system.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

Color terminology used herein is in accordance with the PANTONE® ColorFormula Guide 1000 (Pantone Inc., 590 Commerce Boulevard, Carlstadt,N.J. US 07072-3098). The color descriptions and color illustrations areas nearly true as is reasonably possible. However, it is understood thatboth color and other phenotypic expressions described herein may varyfrom plant to plant with differences in growth, environmental andcultural conditions, without any change in the genotype of the variety‘Cal Giant 3’.

Unless specified otherwise, the ‘Cal Giant 3’ plants described below arefor plants in mid-July, the ninth month of an annual planting scheme,and the fruit described are primary fruit.

Botanical Classification and Parentage

‘Cal Giant 3’ is a member of the genus Fragaria and species ananassa. Itis a cross between proprietary plants designated ‘C2’, a female, and‘NWFV’, a male.

Physical Description

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a color photograph taken in July1998 of ‘Cal Giant 3’ plants showing general plant architecture,flowering, and fruiting characteristics. As can be seen, fruiting plantsof ‘Cal Giant 3’ grow in a semi-erect habit. ‘Cal Giant 3’ plants are asopen but not as large as ‘Catalina’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,320) and‘Seascape’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,614) plants. Further, ‘Cal Giant 3’plants are more erect than ‘Cal Giant 2’ (a proprietary plant which isthe subject of a United States patent application filed Aug. 24, 1999),‘Camarosa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,708) and ‘Selva’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.5,266) plants.

As can be seen further in FIG. 1, the buds and fruit of ‘Cal Giant 3’develop well away from the plant, advantageously easing harvest andallowing for good ventilation which reduces the incidence of fruitdiseases. In general, ‘Cal Giant 3’ achieves a mid to late-season heightof approximately 32 cm and a spread of approximately 64 cm. ‘Cal Giant3’ has an upright fruiting habit with trusses drooping to the shoulderof the bed as fruit ripens. Average inflorescence length of ‘Cal Giant3’ is 32.85 cm. Average peduncle length is 20.85 cm. Average pediclelength is 7.88 cm. Inflorescence length is longer than ‘Cal Giant 2’,‘Camarosa’ and ‘Selva’, and shorter than ‘Catalina’, ‘Chandler’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 5,262) and ‘Seascape’. The inflorescence tends toelongate as the plant grows larger throughout the season.

‘Cal Giant 3’ plants have mid-season leaf petioles averging 22.5 cm inlength, making them less vigorous through mid-season than ‘Catalina’,‘Cal Giant 2’ and ‘Seascape’ plants, and more vigorous than ‘Selva’.Mid-season leaf petiole diameter averages 3.31 mm in width. Mid-seasonternate (or trifoliate) leaves average 18.3 cm in width (measured acrossthe widest area of the ternate leaf) and 10.3 cm in length (measuredfrom the basal ternate connection to the primary leaf tip).

Leaf stipules are winged and average 3.38 cm in length from the base ofthe petiole to the tip of the stipule. Mature stipules are generallygreen to the tip, with some reddish to brown at the tip.

The leaves of ‘Cal Giant 3’ appear strong and healthy, with new leavesappearing above the existing canopy throughout the growing season. ‘CalGiant 3’ canopy density is open. The leaves of ‘Cal Giant 3’ have a waxycuticle, and about 15 to 25 serrations per leaflet, averaging 18.2serrations per leaflet.

While stolons are not present during the fruiting season ‘Cal Giant 3’runners profusely at plant nurseries in Northern California and SouthernOregon, producing 25 to 30 stolon per mother plant. Stolon produced by‘Cal Giant 3’ lack pubescence and any appearance of anthocyanin. Crownsize of plants produced along the stolon vary dependent upon stage ofdevelopment. Average crown diameter of daughter plants produced alongthe stonon are less than or equal to 1 cm.

‘Cal Giant 3’ leaves tend to be lighter than ‘Cal Giant 2’, ‘Camarosa’,‘Catalina’ or ‘Selva’, and darker than ‘Chandler’. Visual comparisons of‘Cal Giant 3’ leaf color to ‘Cal Giant 2’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Catalina’ and‘Chandler’ leaf color were made using the PANTONE® Color Formula Guide1000 (Pantone Inc., 590 Commerce Boulevard, Carlstadt, N.J. US07072-3098) and the results are given in Table I, below.

‘Cal Giant 3’ leaflets tend to be flat, orbicular in shape and to havedentate leaf margins. The leaflet base is cuneate. The leaflet apice arerounded. Leaflets of ‘Cal Giant 3’ are more orbicular than leaflets of‘Cal Giant 2’, ‘Catalina’ and ‘Seascape’.

‘Cal Giant 3’ plants display bract leaves on less than 5% of petioles.The bract leaves occur individually. The presence or absence of bractleaves and their size do not appear to be related to the stage ofdevelopment of the primary leaves or to the size of the plant.

Tomentum is extremely sparse on ‘Cal Giant 3’ leaf petioles. Whenpresent, the hairs are less than 1 mm in length, curled and irregular inshape, and not firm. The tomentum lay at a 45° angle to the leafpetiole.

The buds, blooms, and fruit are borne on a dichasium cyme whosemid-season length averages 32.85 cm from the crown to the apice of theprimary fruit. The five petals borne on each flower of ‘Cal Giant 3’ arecompletely white with no red pigmentation. The petals overlap andaverage 1.25 cm in length and 1.4 cm in width. The filament lengthranges from 0.9 to 1.7 mm. The calyx of ‘Cal Giant 3’ is nonclasping,moderately to completely reflexed, and small to medium in size,averaging 3.83 cm in diameter. The sepals do not overlap, do not adhereto the berry and average 1.5 cm in length and 0.75 cm in width, andaverage 12 per calyx. Achene are present. Each receptacle bears hundredsof pistils.

There are 24 stamens per bloom, each bearing an anther measuring 1 mm indiameter. The stamens circle the receptacle in multiple tiers at randomheights. The random dispersal of stamens distinguishes ‘Cal Giant 3’from the ‘Cal Giant 2’, which has a single tier of stamens of the sameheight, and form ‘Catalina’, which has stamens in two distinct tiers ofheight.

The fruit of ‘Cal Giant 3’ are initially borne on single stems,branching to dichasium cymes in mid-season. The fruit is short conic andsignificantly smoother than both Cal Giant 2 and commercially grownvarieties. The ratio of the width of the fruit to the length is 4.4:5.Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a color photograph showing aclose-up view of the range of mature whole fruit.

‘Cal Giant 3’ produces a much higher number of well shaped, unblemishedfruit than ‘Camarosa’, ‘Catalina’, ‘Chandler’ or ‘Selva’, averaging 45berries per plant. ‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit are very well sized, averaging 31grams per berry during the season. Advantageously, the difference in thesize between primary, secondary and tertiary berries is much less thanthe difference in many other varieties, including ‘Cal Giant 2’,‘Catalina’, ‘Chandler’ and ‘Selva’.

‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit average 4.12 cm in length and 3.94 cm in width. Theshoulder of ‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit ranges from very smooth to slightlynecked. The fruit has a very high gloss. Its seeds are even with thefruit skin, and range in color from yellow to red, depending on thedirection of the fruit in relation to the sun.

The skin and flesh of ‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit are very firm. The exteriorfruit color of ‘Cal Giant 3’ is similar to ‘Cal Giant 2’ and lighterthan the exterior fruit color of either ‘Camarosa’ or ‘Catalina’. ‘CalGiant 3’ fruit flesh displays good color saturation and the interiorcolor substantially matches the exterior color. Visual comparisons of‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit color were made with the fruit color of ‘Cal Giant2’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Catalina’ and ‘Chandler’ using the PANTONE® ColorFormula Guide 1000 and the results are given in Table I, below.

TABLE 1 Visual Comparisons of ‘Cal Giant 2’ Leaf and Fruit Color to‘Catalina’, ‘Camarosa’, and ‘Chandler’ Leaf and Fruit Color AdaxialAbaxial Leaf Leaf External Fruit Internal Fruit ‘Cal Giant 3’ 364U 371U1788 U2X 1788 U2X ‘Cal Giant 2’ 363U 370U Warm Red U2X Warm Red U2X‘Camarosa’ 349C 348U 193C 185C ‘Catalina’ 342C 348U- 193C 185C 356U‘Chandler’ 343C 339U 186C 179C

Additionally, the petiole, peduncle, and pedicel color of ‘Cal Giant 3’is 576C.

Protein Characteristics

The isoenzyme content of ‘Cal Giant 3’ was compared with the isoenzymecontent of six other varieties by gel electrophoresis. The results aregiven in Table II, below.

TABLE II Comparisons of ‘Cal Giant 3’ Enzyme Content with the EnzymeContent of ‘Aromas’, ‘Cal Giant 2’, ‘Catalina’, ‘Diamonte’, ‘Gaviota’and ‘Pacifica’ Phosphoglu- Leucineami- coseisomerase nopeptidasePhosphoglucomutase ‘Cal Giant 3’ A3 B3 C2 ‘Aromas’ A4 B3 C2 ‘Cal Giant2’ A3 B3 C2 ‘Catalina’ A4 B3 C4 ‘Diamonte’ A4 B3 C2 ‘Gaviota’ A2 B3 C1‘Pacifica’ A4 B3 C1

Flavor and Aroma of the Fruit

The flavor of ‘Cal Giant 3’ is exceptional. ‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit flavordisplays a balance of sugars and acids similar to ‘Catalina’ and‘Chandler’. The soluble solid content, a measure of sugar content, of‘Cal Giant 3’ fruit was determined to be 10.11% using a TY′ MUP®11-520-0 ATC Refractometer (TY′ MUP PRODUCTS, a Division of AdcockManufacturing Corporation, Gardena, Calif. 90249), compared to ‘CalGiant 2’ (9.1%), ‘Catalina’ (8.29%), ‘Selva’ (8.64%), and ‘Chandler’(7.5%).

Resistance to Diseases and Pests

‘Cal Giant 3’ plants are very healthy, displaying good naturalresistance to many foliar, fruit, and root diseases, including PowderyMildew (Sphaerotheca macularis spp. fragariae), Angular Leaf Spot(Xanthomonas fragariae), Phomopsis (Dendrophoma obscurans), Ramularia(or Mycosphaerella) leaf spot (Ramularia tulasnet or Mycosphaerellafragariae), as well as some Phytophthora spp. Further, ‘Cal Giant 3’plants are resistant to many fungal diseases of fruit, such asAnthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) and leather rot (Phytophthoracactorum).

‘Cal Giant 3’ has been tested in non-fumigated conditions for severalyears and has also shown good natural resistance to soil borne diseasessuch as Verticillium wilt and Phytophothora spp. under these conditions.In non-fumigated conditions, ‘Cal Giant 3’ displays greater resistancethan ‘Aromas’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,451), ‘Cal Giant 2’, ‘Camarosa’,‘Diamonte’ (a University of California variety), ‘Gaviota’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 10,461), ‘Pacifica’ (a University of California variety),‘Seascape’ and ‘Selva’ to soil borne diseases. Referring now to FIG. 3,there is shown a color photograph taken in July 1998 showing the generalplant architecture, flowering, and fruiting characteristics of plantsgrown in a non-fumigated, cultural system.

Productivity Characteristics

‘Cal Giant 3’ is a strawberry cultivar with a strong everbearingtendency and advantageously produces equivalent yields of equally highquality fruit in both fumigated conditions and in non-fumigatedconditions. Further advantageously, ‘Cal Giant 3’ has the potential toout-produce all currently grown varieties during the first half of theseason, and to equal or exceed total season production of all currentlygrown varieties.

‘Cal Giant 3’ plants continue to produce high quality fruit well intothe autumn months. They come into production similar to ‘Catalina’, andahead of ‘Cal Giant 2’, ‘Diamonte’, ‘Seascape’ and ‘Selva’.

‘Cal Giant 3’ initiates flowers in January in the Santa Maria andWatsonville, Calif. growing areas. Typically, harvest in both the theseareas initiates in the second half of March. Production continues inSanta Maria, Calif. through July, and in Watsonville, Calif. throughSeptember. Typical production of ‘Cal Giant 3’ in Santa Maria, Calif. is28.75 tons per acre. Typical production of ‘Cal Giant 3’ in Watsonville,Calif. is 34.5 tons per acre.

Advantageously, ‘Cal Giant 3’ is self-fertile, producing sufficientpollen throughout the season to insure very few malformed fruit. Furtheradvantageously, ‘Cal Giant 3’ self pollinates well in inclement weather,thus facilitating significant early season production with few discardedfruit due to poor pollination.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct strawberry plant designated ‘CalGiant 3’ as herein described